The country park
During 2010 a country park, forming an integral part of the development, was seeded with wild grasses and meadow flowers. In addition, hedgerows were replanted
to restore field margins.
In November the project team received a Silver Green Apple award from The Green Organisation in recognition of ecological works completed in 2009 to restore a 1.5km
stretch of the River Cam running through the site. The restoration work raised the level of the river bed to improve fish spawning and invertebrate habitat, and increased the
level of protection for kingfisher and otters. In addition, a wild flower meadow was allowed to revert to being a flood meadow, to control floodwater and provide a better habitat
for wildlife.
The new country park will be a place where local people can enjoy the peace and beauty of an unspoilt riverside environment, with wild flower meadows, parkland trees, woodlands and ponds, populated by a rich collection of birds, butterflies and other wildlife. There will be space for walking, running, cycling, or just sitting and relaxing. Children will be able to create their own adventures in a safe, natural setting. And it will be a place where you can learn about the wealth of nature, history and archaeology that surround us. You can even become involved in the management of the park.
Progress to date
Over half the meadows have been sown, including the creation of riverside meadows along the Cam. Within the farmland areas, over half of the new hedgerows have been planted, along with small copses, and hedgerow oak and ash trees.
What happens next?
During autumn 2011 the new balancing ponds and swales will be created and landscaped. The remaining meadows will be sown in the autumn, with the final farmland hedges and copses planted over winter 2011/12.
New footpaths and cycleways will be constructed during 2012. The allotments and a small community orchard will be created in 2013.
Between 2011 and 2017 an embankment will gradually be created alongside the M11. It will be planted with trees to provide screening from the road.
The park is scheduled to open to the public in 2013. The Wildlife Trust will have staff based at an on-site office and barns in the north-east corner of the park.
Provision has been made within the plans for additional woodland planting and a pond restoration initiative beyond 2013. We hope that local people will become actively involved with these projects.